Doughnut baking machine



2 SHEETS-SHEET l J. MORLEY DOUGHNUT BAKING MACHINE .www

Dec. 9, 1952 Filed Dec. 31. 1949 IN VEN TOR.

ATTQRNEY,

M IOSEPH MoRLEy Dec. 9, 1952 J. MORLEY DOUGHNUT BAKING MACHINE 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 Filed Dec. 51. 1949 INVENTOR. Hoehe: y

TJSEPH Patented Dec. 9, 1 952 DOUGHNUT BAKING MACHNE Joseph Morley, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner to Mabel Francis Morley V Application December 31, 1949, Serial No. 136,291

My invention relates to a mechanical oven or machine for baking doughnuts and the like and has for its principal objects, to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the existing forms of doughnut baking machines, to provide a machine wherein the baking pans are mounted on an endless carrier so as to travel first in one direction, and then in the other past heating means, preferably electric heating elements, so as to accomplish uniform baking of the doughnuts or other food products; further to provide for the closing of the baking pansv after they have been filled with the vproduct forming batter or dough and as they enter the baking chamber and further, to construct the baking pans so that they automatically open and permit the baked products to discharge at the end of their travel through the baking chamber.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken lengthwise through the machine and showing the endless carrier, the baking pans and the heating means in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the plane indicated by dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. t

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational View of one of the baking pans and showing its connections with links in the chains of the endless conveyor.

Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 'I is a fragmentary plan view taken looking in the direction indicated by arrows 'I-'l, Fig. 1.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I0 designates a substantially rectangular housing, preferably sheet metal having in its top at one end an opening II to permit filling the baking pans; and in the bottom of the housing, below opening II, is an opening I2, through which the baked products discharge. One or both of the side walls of housing I0 may be provided with a glazed door or window Illa, thus enabling attendants to observe the action of the endless conveyor and heating elements during the baking function.

1 Claim. (Cl. 99-373) Suitably supported in the upper portion 'of housing I0 is a plate I3, of asbestos insulation, in the under face of which is imbedded an electric heating element I4, preferably a wire lor ribbon of Nichrome. Supported a, short distance below plate I3, is a similar asbestos insulation plate I5, in the upper face of which is embedded a heating element I6, preferably a Nichrome wire or ribbon. Suitably supported in the lower portion of the housing, below plates I3 and I5, are spaced upper and lower plates I'I and I8 respectively, with heating elements I9, preferably Nichrome wire or ribbon in the under face of the upper plate and the upper facev of the lower plate.

Journaled in the side walls of housing I0 adjacent its ends are shafts 20, each carrying near the side walls of the housing, sprocket wheels .2.I,

connected by longitudinally disposed ,sprocket chains 22. These chains pass between the pairs of places I3 and I5, and I'I and I8, thus providing an endless carrier for the baking pans.

At the end of the machine opposite from the' opening II, the shaft 20 is connected throughL suitable reduction gearing within a housing 23, to the shaft of an electric motor M. At the closed end of the machine housing, aA semi-circular track rail 25 concentric with the adjacentv shaft 20, connects the corresponding end of plates I3 and I8, thus forming a bearing for the baking pans as they pass from the upper to the lower iiight portions of the chains 22.

Baking pans or molds are carried at suitably spaced intervals by chains 22, each pan comprising a pair of practically identical plates or blocks of metal 23, connected on one side by hinges 24, including hinge pins 24a.

The contacting faces of plates 23 are provided with coinciding recesses 26 which receive the dough or batter to be baked into doughnuts or the like and the inner one of each pair of plates has its ends secured to links of the chains 22 by screws or bolts 2'I.

Mounted on each hinge pin 24a between the hinges 24 is a torsional spring 28h, the ends of which are connected respectively to the edges of the adjacent plates 23 and said springs act to open the baking pans by swinging the outer members of said pans away from the inner members as the pans reach that portion of the endless conveyor beneath the open end of housing I0.

A supporting plate 28 projects from the end of plate I8 to maintain the outer members of the baking pans in closed positions until they start upward on the conveyor below opening I I in housing I0.

Projecting from the end of plate I3, adjacent opening II in the housing, is a guide plate 29 which engages the outer members of the baking pans and swings same downwardly onto the inner members, thus closing the baking pans as they are carried by the conveyor into and through the space between plates I3 and I5 and the heating elements seated therein,

While the pans are open and traveling below opening II in the housing, the cavities ZI/are lled with dough or batter, either manually or by mechanical means (not shown).

For receiving and delivering the doughnuts into a receptacle located below outlet opening I2 as they discharge from the baking pans, which open after passing the end of plate 23, a series of plates 3E! are disposed above outlet opening I2, each plate being provided with a shaft 3I located to one side of the longitudinal center of the plate. And all shafts are journalled in bearings such as 32` on the bottom of the housing.

On each shaft 3| is a torsionali coil spring 33, the ends of which are seated respectively in the corresponding, plate and shaft bearing. Normally, each spring maintains its associated plate ina horizontal position, as seen in Fig. '7.

In operation, motor 24, through the reduction gear: in housing 23 drives the endless conveyor at a predetermined speed, with upper night moving in one direction betweenthe heatingelement carrying plates I3 and I5 and then in the opposite direction between the heating element carrying plates I'I and I8;

The depressions in the inner plate of each pair forming thebaking pans is lled withY dough or batter as the open pan travelsto the tops of the wheels 2|, below opening II, and as the outer plates` of the pans contact guide plate 29' they will` be swung downward onto the inner plates, thereby closing the pans and in such condition they will pass between the heating elements in plates I3 and I5 so as to be heated andthereby partially accomplish the baking function.

After passing around the wheelsv 22 in the closed end ofV housing I0, the baking pans pass between plates I'I and I8V and.' their heating elements, thus completing the baking function.

During their entire vtravel between plates` I3V andi I and II. and I8, also against semi-circular rail the outer hinged members of thebaking pans are maintained in closed positions against theinner members, which are connected' to the sprocket, chains and in. moving upward after f/ Thus it will be seen that I have provided a doughnut baking machine which is simple in structure, practically automatic in operation and which is very eifective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

Minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved doughnut bakingv machine may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a doughnut baking machine, a housing, an endless conveyor arranged for operation within said housing, said.v conveyor including pairs of' sprocket wheels, sprocket chains carried' by said,

wheels, heating elements disposed above; and below both upper and lower ights of' said chains, baking pans carried by said. chains, each. pan, comprising a pair of. plates hingedtoeach; other, a spring associated with each hinge for normally` exerting pressure tending to swing oneiplateaway' from the other, aplate secured to the upper one of said heating elements for automatically closing said baking pans as theyenter the upper pair of heating elements, a plate arranged beneath the discharge end of said conveyor for holding. said baking pans closed; untilthey start' upward at the open end of. said housing, and; a. series of horizontally disposed, independently: operable plates arrangedV beneath the discharge endv of the conveyorA for receiving the baked. products from, the pans in` said conveyor, as said pans open below the endA of'l said, last mentioned plate.

JOSEPH .MORLEY- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

Number Name Datev 1,401,945 Morris Dec. 27, 1921 1,443,242 Roth Jan.` 23, 1923 1,926,313 Smith Sept. 12, 1933 2,207,264 Neuberger July 9, 1940 2,349,583 Tatosian May 25, 1944 

